Washington, D.C. – Senate and House Committees are diligently working on a new water resources bill to be filed in 2018 that would authorize federal funds for new Army Corps of Engineers flood protection, harbor and coastal dredging, and seaport improvement programs. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) over the past four years (2014 and 2016) has authorized $14.7 billion in spending for approximately 64 projects. WRDA-2018 should have appropriations exceeding the 2016 authorization of $10.3 billion. All of this falls in line with President Trump’s stated campaign promise to focus on infrastructure and rebuild America. If the Democrats and Republicans can work together on WRDA-2018, expect funding for at least six projects: two in Texas, two in Florida, and one each in Hawaii and New York. The most significant project of the six is a coastal storm protection and environmental restoration projects from Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay in Texas. The project’s estimated cost is $3.3 billion.

Contributors

Michael Barnicle is trial lawyer with a particular focus on construction and government contract litigation. Prior to joining Duane Morris, Michael served as an active duty government contracts and fiscal law attorney in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Read Michael's bio.